Here it is, the thirty-second full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released at the right time for the one guaranteed per week. As y'all can tell, my slow down has really begun as the time I usually devote to furthering this story's draft is being taken up by my other active story that I'm still drafting (my third full time active story is fully drafted) as I want to get a few more drafts and a bunch of edits done before I head abroad for a few weeks were editing (but not drafting) will be harder so I want to ensure that y'all still get weekly chapters in all 3 stories. Other than that, this is a simple, albeit nice and long, set up chapter for y'all to enjoy as we move into the next arc. Anyway, that is all the administrative stuff I have for now though and as there are no questions or guest reviews to address here, though do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all, I will leave this pre chapter note off here. That means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 32nd full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 32: Preparing For Finals
"Alright that's it for class today." Aizawa said in his usual board tone as he shuffled his papers on his podium. "Don't forget that there's only one more week until finals so I assume you are all studying constantly for them. Remember that the written portion is only half of it, there is also the practical so keep training and stay in shape. Good luck."
Aizawa was leaving as he was speaking and finished as he left the classroom and closed the door behind him. Almost as soon as he was done most of the class began talking amongst themselves.
"I've barely even taken notes this semester." Both Mina and Kaminari said in a mix of nervous laughter and despair which was understandable as they were the 21st and 22nd ranked kids in the class so they were at the bottom of the class's academic rankings.
"With the Sports Festival and internship, I haven't even opened the textbook." Kaminari wailed. "There was no time for it."
"It's true, we've barely had any free time lately." Tokoyami said sweating a bit as he was 16th in the class. "But we should have expected this from U.A."
"We barely knew anything for our midterms, so they didn't seem too bad at the time." Sato said to Koda who at 12th was 2 places above his own 14th as the silent boy just nodded. "But I feel like the finals will be a lot worse. They won't pull any punches when it comes to testing given what we've been through this year."
"As someone in the top half of the class and the top 10 I'm not too worried." Mineta said smugly while Koda continued to nod at what Sato was saying behind him. "I was 10th in the midterm after all."
"You were 10th!" Mina and Kaminari said, the latter shocked and betrayed by his partner in crime as they closed in on him.
"And here I thought that you were one of us." Mina said frustrated. "You've been deceiving us this entire time you perverted little gremlin."
"Don't you know that people only like weirdo little creeps if they're kinda dumb." Kaminari said. "Who's going to love you now?"
"Everyone." Mineta said confidently. "Trust me."
"Ashido, Kaminari, we've all still got time to study." Izuku said to his friends as he returned to his desk encouraging them though the fact that he was 5th in the class on the midterm wasn't lost on anyone. "That way we can all go to the training camp together."
The training camp was something they'd recently learned about from Mr. Aizawa. Apparently both Hero Course classes would be going to a special training camp in the woods somewhere for a week this summer and already everyone was looking forward to it though it did mean that they couldn't plan any long trips and had to basically stay in Japan all summer as the camp we right in the middle of the break.
"Yes as class rep I have high hopes that we'll make U.A. proud." Ida said. "And as future heroes we must help each other out when some fall behind."
"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class." Todoroki said in his usual monotonous tone.
"What moody here means is that we've all got each other's backs." Adrien said with a grin at Kaminari and Ashido. "Just like in the field, we'll help in the classroom so those who are strong in subjects can help those who need it and vice versa."
"Why do you have to cut me down like that." Kaminari said clutching his heart.
In Kaminari's defense it was easy to see why he had such a reaction from the Stain quartet. In addition to Midoriya being 5th, Ida was 3rd in the class, Todoroki 6th and Agreste 2nd in the midterms with only a few points on classical Japanese being the deciding factor between Agreste and the top student. It wasn't helping Kaminari's destroyed ego to have some of the top of the class point all this out to him and when you added in that they were 4 of the top 6 combat students in the class it made things worse to him.
"Agreste is right, listen to him." Momo said with a smile, she was always willing to help her classmates out whenever possible and being the top of the class in the midterm added to her sense of responsibility to bring up her friends when they were struggling. "I can get you up to speed on the topics you need."
"You're the best Yao-Momo." Both Mina and Kaminari said beaming at her, help from Momo was the best thing they could hope for, and they needed the help despite their broken egos.
"I'm afraid I won't be any help when it comes to the practical though." Momo said upset, she'd never gotten her confidence back after her loss to Tokoyami, the 2nd fastest in the Sports Festival final stage to Marinette's win over Ida, and her internship experience hadn't helped her on that front at all. "That I am useless for."
Todoroki, Adrien, and Marinette all noticed this behavior in Yaoyorozu but before they could say anything Jiro was already approaching her friend for help. It wasn't a good sign and while Todoroki was confused by Yaoyorozu's words, the French pair saw it plain as day.
Momo's high standards for herself both academically and practically were coming back to bite her in the ass. Her performance in the Sports Festival compared to the other recommended or recommended equivalent students in their class was the worst of the 4 of them and it was affecting her confidence.
"Could you help me too, I've been studying but I'm having some trouble understanding quadratic functions." Jiro said and Marinette at least could tell that she'd taken Adrien's words to heart and was addressing her weakest subject to do better and as she was 8th in the class, above Marinette's own 13th, it would help her a lot. "I want to do better all-around, but these are things I can't get."
"Really?" Momo asked looking up at her friend surprised but touched by the request and starting to get out of her self-imposed funk even if it was only in the academic space.
"Tutor me please." Sero said standing in front of her and doing a prayer sign above his head and as he was 19th in the class it made sense that he'd need help as well. "Classical Japanese is kicking my ass and I know that's what separated you from Agreste on the midterms."
"Room for one more." Ojiro said finding the courage to ask for help to improve on his 9th place and address his weaknesses now that some of the others were asking Yaoyorozu for help. "I'm afraid I might be falling behind a bit and don't want that."
"Pretty please." All three said.
All Momo could do was gasp in shock and honor as she flushed with pride at her classmates coming to her for help. Of course she was going to help them all and she could do it at her residence where they'd have all the space they needed, and where she could whip them into academic shape.
"Wonderful." Momo said leaping up from her seat and doing some sort of motivational pose. "Let's do it!"
"All right." All three cheered before they realized what they'd unleashed in helpful academic Momo.
"We can hold a study session at my residence over the weekend." Momo said smiling. "It's the perfect place for this."
"Seriously." Mina said excitedly coming in to their little study group space. "I can't wait to see your fancy digs."
"I must call mother and have her prepare the Great Hall for us to study in it will be the perfect spot." Momo began to exclaim happily with absolutely no social awareness whatsoever for what she was saying as she devolved into a mumble storm that would make Midoriya proud. "What kind of tea does everyone like? Usually at my family we drink Harrods or Wedgewood but if there are other preferences let me know so that I can make sure we are well stocked with it. When we're finished I'll make sure you're all model students. I'll make it my personal duty to push you forward. Plus Ultra isn't just for the battlefield, it's for the classroom and we're going to go Plus Ultra while studying."
All 5 of her study group, plus most of the class still present who were watching the scene were utterly confused by what was going on. Momo was in full Midoriya mode showing that at least one of the class had been inadvertently affected by his bad habit as she mumbled and ranted to no one in particular and was either humble bragging or more likely completely socially unaware of what she was saying thanks to a sheltered upbringing. The study group didn't care though because of how excited Momo was about it. It was also when most of the class took the time to leave and head to lunch.
"Maybe I should join them." Kirishima said from behind the group as he stood next to Bakugo's table having finally forged as close to a friendship with the explosive kid as could be managed and going to him to help improve his 17th place while Kaminari showed how lost he was with a question about the tea. "Looks like fun."
"You don't think I know enough?" Bakugo said angrily, pissed that Kirishima seemed to be misjudging his intellect, he was 4th in the class, one above Deku, and aiming to top Four-Eyes, Agreste, and Ponytail in the final exams for the top spot because he won at everything. "Maybe I ought to beat the lessons into."
"That's what I'm counting on." Kirishima said with a grin at Bakugo.
"Everyone's panicking now but they should know that it will do so little this late in the game." Aoyama said from his desk to no one in particular as most of the classroom was now almost empty though Shoji was passing by as he spoke.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned; you didn't do particularly well on the midterms." One of Shoji's dupli-arm mouths said pointing it out to Aoyama bluntly though he himself didn't need to be too concerned as he was 11th so right at the cut off for the top half.
"Are you talking about moi?" Aoyama said turning annoyed to Shoji and trying to justify it though he was 20th in the class so right above the bottom 2 as he glared as best he could at his classmate. "I did just fine thank you very much."
Shoji just shrugged at that and left to head to lunch. It wasn't his concern what his classmate did, he had his plan, and he was going to stick to it.
While all this was going on most of the rest of class had gotten to the cafeteria and gotten their food. Right now, the usual crew plus a few extras were sitting down with their food and adding condiments to their meal or thanking for the food before eating. Ever since the Hosu Incident, Todoroki had begun to come out of his shell more and was now eating with them, sitting between Ida and Agreste with Midoriya at the end as they faced the girls and making sure his cold Soba was as he liked it.
Opposite the boys, all of whom still had the bandages or compression sleeves from the incident they were involved in on their bodies as all were in visible locations other than the one on Adrien's chest, were 4 girls from the class. As expected Marinette was opposite Adrien and naturally Uraraka was opposite Midoriya. Between them were Tsu and Hagakure with the former next to Uraraka and the latter next to Marinette and showing everyone the strange sight of the invisible girl eating.
For once almost all were going with more traditional Japanese style foods, even the French pair. Only Ida with his favorite beef stew was sticking to something that was more universal.
"I'm worried about the practical though." Izuku said as he clapped his hands and silently gave thanks for his food before he began to eat it. "I don't know what it might be."
"It can't be too hard." Ida said having done the same before digging in. "It won't be too crazy."
"The written stuff will all be from class so I'm good there." Izuku said as he began to eat. "I should at least be able to do those."
"Do you think it's going to be that simple though." Uraraka said, she was more worried as she was towards the bottom of the class at 15th. "This is Aizawa we're talking about."
"It's driving me nuts." Izuku said completely missing his friends worry as he looked off and thought on the matter. "I just want to know what they'll have us doing."
"It's a comprehensive test of everything we've learned this semester." Hagakure said though the practical wasn't her concern given her stealth skills, she was worried about the written as she was 18th in the class. "Which is a lot."
"Yup and that's all Mr. Aizawa would say about it." Tsu said in her usual unphased manner though at 7th in the class she was pretty fine, and her mental maturity ensured that she wouldn't panic on either the written or practical parts.
"Ok so it will cover combat training and rescue training." Uraraka said thinking. "And basic training."
"There will likely be a speed element to it as well." Marinette said. "Probably a time limit to complete it in."
"Yeah that's pretty much a given." Adrien said. "Time does matter to a hero, so they'll give us a set amount of it to complete the practical."
"Yes speed is crucial for a hero." Ida said with a nod. "I must get faster on that front, I'm still too slow."
"We also have to stay in great physical shape." Izuku said thinking before he was suddenly elbowed in the back of the head as he was talking.
"Oh sorry, your head's so big it's hard to miss." A cool voice said down to them.
All 8 of them turned to see Neito Monoma standing there looking down on them with a tray in his hands. Oddly he had a wine glass on the tray though they didn't serve wine to the students for obvious reasons so why he chose that for his drink was anyone's guess.
"Oh, you're from Class 1-B, Monoma right?" Izuku asked rubbing the back of his head. "That really hurt."
"I heard you guys stumbled across the Hero Killer during your internships." Monoma said ignoring Izuku's words as he addressed the 4 boys before him. "All 4 of you. Just like in the Sports Festival, Class 1-A isn't happy unless they're the center of attention. You do realize though that you're not there because people think you're good heroes, right? It's because you keep getting into trouble so here's some food for thought, someday the rest of us might get caught up in your mess and we'll become unwitting victims as well. What kind of villains will you bring down upon us, what kind of demons…"
As Monoma had been speaking he'd been getting more and more unhinged while those at the table were getting annoyed. It wasn't their fault that they were attacked at the USJ and the 3 of them who'd seen the epic battle at the center of that facility knew what the League's power was knew it firsthand.
Add in the Hero Killer comment and the way the boys all stiffened at that, and it was a clear that the boys had been through some serious shit when they ran into Stain. The girls didn't know the true details of that fight, but the boys did and none of them wanted to be reminded of how close they came to death at Stain's hands, especially Ida and all that he'd gone through during it.
Thankfully it had all been stopped by a sudden chop to the side of Monoma's head that stumbled him forward and made him drop his tray. Before both Monoma and his tray fell they were caught by his assailant, a pretty girl with bright orange hair, a slightly off-center ponytail, and emerald green eyes that they all knew as Itsuka Kendo of Class 1-B. Still the sight was a little jarring to see.
"That's not funny Monoma, we all heard what happened to Ida and the others so chill out." Kendo said to him as she put his tray down on top of a trash can. "And remember, it's not just them who were affected but their friends and loved ones as well so have some tact for once."
"Kendo." Ida said surprised at his fellow class rep's actions.
"I apologize for him, I'm sure there's a hole where his heart should be." Kendo said smiling at them with an apologetic look though the bigger worry was that Monoma seemed to be out cold as he hung limply to Kendo's side where she held him by the back of his collar. "I was listen though, sorry again, and I know you're worried about the big final practical so let me put you at ease as penance for Monoma being a dick. I heard that it will be combat against robots like the entrance exam."
"Wait really?" Izuku said gasping as the others, except Todoroki who was calmly eating and Agreste who decided to just ignore it but was still listening, stared at Kendo. "How'd you know that?"
"On of my friends who's a few grades up filled me in." Kendo said patting her chest. "I know, cheating but oh well. After the Sports Festival and seeing how prepared Dupain-Cheng was for it I started to make changes to my own preparations."
"Being prepared is important." Marinette said helpfully looking at Kendo and grinning. "It is how I knew how best to take you your team in the Cavalry Battle, along with two more Class B teams."
"No, I don't think it's cheating…" Izuku said as he began to mumble up a storm that startled and disturbed Kendo as it was her first experience of it, but the others just ignored it or in Ochaco's case tried to ignore how cute she found it and how Deku was astutely deducing how what Kendo had done was right and how he should have done the same.
"What kind of idiot are you Kendo." Monoma said from her grasp as he began to come too. "You just gave away our whole strategic advantage. This was finally our chance to pull ahead of that class of idiots…"
Monoma didn't get to finish before Kendo chopped his neck this time, knocking him out again before she began dragging his unconscious body away through the startled lunchroom while carrying his tray in her other hand. He'd had enough of his fun tormenting 1-A for the day, it was time to leave them alone with the information she'd provided them.
"They're not the idiots." Kendo said to her unconscious classmate as they left. "Remember how well Dupain-Cheng played that Cavalry Battle and then thanks to Tetsutetsu's taunts she targeted him to ensure none of us advanced because the only one of us who got points decided it was a good idea to make Bakugo his enemy during it. We can't underestimate 1-A."
"She's like their class's big sister." Izuku noted as they left.
"Well, she is their class's rep so makes sense." Ida said as they turned back to lunch. "Though if it is robots that is good."
"I'll say." Adrien said with a grin. "They're inorganic, no hope again my Cataclysm."
"We should tell the rest of the class." Marinette said. "That way they can prepare best for them."
"You're right Marinette, ribbit." Tsu said with a nod. "It's only right and it will put a few of them at ease which will make them study harder and not panic."
"Most of us know the robots well from the entrance exam." Ochaco said though she failed to contain the blush as she thought about Deku saving her and then her returning it albeit by slapping him, but it was the fastest way to use her Quirk on him. "So, we can handle them."
"I haven't actually faced one." Marinette admitted. "Adrien and I had that special exchange exam and didn't see the robots you lot faced until the Obstacle Race and then I just followed Adrien and Todoroki's path of destruction to avoid them."
"I was just trying to win." Todoroki said. "And holding you lot up was part of the plan though I forgot about Agreste's Quirk, and I didn't realize he could keep it active after already using it back then."
"It took effort, but it worked, and my speed helped." Adrien said. "Though I didn't see what happened after I ran past and touched it with Cataclysm. That was more for those behind me as I could clear it before it fell."
"It fell on Kirishima and Tetsutestu and they burst out of it as I leapt over them with my athleticism." Marinette said as she ate. "Then I told them to shut up and break it as you'd weakened it and Kirishima again called me manly for whatever reason. After that I was gone and until Midoriya's bold act I was in 4th, well briefly third as I passed Adrien on the minefield but then Midoriya passed us all and Adrien beat me on the flat foot race."
"It was easily destroyed thanks to Agreste's Cataclysm." Ida said. "It was a lit weaker and we got through it fast though there were others that slowed us down."
"Still got me that bit of armor." Izuku said. "That was key to my victory in the end."
"And taught all of us to be mindful of what might be useful when in a battle or the field." Tsu said. "It was good thinking Midoriya."
"Thanks." Izuku said as he finished his lunch. "I couldn't use my Quirk at the time as I still lacked control over it at the time so I did what I could without it."
"Clever though." Adrien said as they all finished and began bussing their trays. "Showed that there are times when a Quirk is and is not useful. Few of us know that this early but good to learn."
"Agreed, it's one of the reasons why I chose the internship I did." Ochaco said with a nod as they left as a group and went back to the classroom to tell their classmates what they knew and spend the rest of the lunch break there before packing up and training as there were no hero classes between now and the practical. "It's something a lot of us forget but thanks to Deku we won't anymore."
Midoriya just blushed a little at Uraraka's words as they cleared their trays and left the lunchroom chatting idly. He hadn't meant to be such an inspiration; he was just doing his best to win with his limitations at the time and growing up Quirkless meant that he knew how to work around not using One for All. Still, it was nice to hear that he'd been so helpful to his classmates.
As they walked, one of their number wasn't chatting, however. Todoroki had been thinking and he realized now was the best time for what he had to do. Ever since his talk with Agreste in the hospital room and his beginning to join in more with his classmates he'd been thinking about it and while he was good with Midoriya and Bakugo wouldn't forgive him until they had a proper rematch, there was one more person he needed to talk to and now was as good a time as ever to do so.
"Dupain-Cheng, can you spare a moment." Todoroki said stopping on the half landing of the stairs to floor that their classroom was on and addressing the French girl surprising the group and causing them to stop. "There's something I need to say to you but I'd rather it be in private."
Marinette was confused by that, as was everyone but Adrien and it was to her boyfriend who she looked for clarity on it. Adrien just nodded that it was ok and that he was aware of what Todoroki would be talking to her about, so she shrugged and turned back to Todoroki.
"Sure, a bit clandestine but I can spare a moment." Marinette said walking down the stairs to meet him on the landing. "You lot go on."
"Are you sure?" Hagakure asked worried as her more romantic brain began to go into overdrive, but this wasn't a pairing she could see given how made for each other Marinette and Agreste were as a couple.
"It's ok Hagakure." Adrien said catching Todoroki's eye and the boys exchanged a look as they knew what this was about. "It's nothing sinister or bad, just something that Todoroki has to do alone. Let's go."
With that Adrien turned and led them back to the classroom though the others were confused as Marinette stood opposite Todoroki on the landing, a respectful distance between them, as they looked at each other. This was the first time they'd been face to face since their battle in the Sports Festival though Marinette wasn't sure what it was about. Whatever it was, she hadn't expected Todoroki to suddenly give her a short, formal bow that she wasn't sure what it meant.
"I'm sorry." Todoroki said from the bow. "For what I did during the Sports Festival, but I also wanted to say thank you because of what you made me do. You pushed me as hard as Midoriya did in the round before and made me use my flames. Had you not, I would have lost to you I know that but more you allowed me to see what they would be like on another human, even one as durable as you are. That gave me pause and doubt hence my hesitation against Bakugo in the final, but it also gave me clarity. With yours and Midoriya's help I was able to find the courage to get forgiveness for the past and find the closure I needed to move on and use all of my Quirk. So again, thank you."
"Um ok, that was unexpected and please rise I don't really know bowing culture." Marinette said a little uncomfortable as she'd never heard Todoroki speak that much but touched as well and Todoroki did just that as he rose to look at her. "I take it you and Adrien have had a long, deep talk."
"In the hospital when it was just us after the Hosu Incident, yes." Todoroki said with a curt nod. "We talked about a few things, and he told me of his father, we have that in common as I am sure you are aware of that by now and it helped. I did want to know more about you as well though, but Agreste didn't really give more than that I should speak to you directly about it."
"Really?" Marinette asked a little confused. "Why?"
"I heard Jiro the other day, we all did, and she's not wrong, you're one of the best in the class for a reason." Todoroki said. "I can easily tell that much. You have training because of how the French system works, you are on par with me as a recommended student for good reason but there's more to you then just that. You're a natural leader and your battle sense and tactics are second to none in the class right now other than maybe Agreste's. You showed that at the USJ and came straight to the center to stand with us against Shigaraki and Nomu. Then there was how you handled the Sports Festival. I may have called out Midoriya, but I considered you a legit threat along with Bakugo from the start."
"I'm honored." Marinette said and meaning it though she was a little wary now given how astute Todoroki was being. "I won't deny any of that. I've had training, I am a leader and I know what it takes to be one more than any in the class though inspiration wise Midoriya beats me there I feel. I know how good I am but even I couldn't beat you at your best though I am glad you gave your best to me in our match."
"I had to and in hindsight I know what I did was right." Todoroki said. "Though I didn't expect those injuries and I have begun to learn to regulate my flames more now that I am getting comfortable using them."
"Being hit by fire is certainly something I never want to experience again." Marinette said with a grin. "It wasn't pleasant, and I made it worse when I ripped my shirt off, but a hero has to fight through pain. Besides, you weren't unharmed yourself. I landed some good hits in on you in that match."
"Yes those skates were sharp, and you can hit really hard." Todoroki said recalling the blows he'd taken from Dupain-Cheng but there was one that he remembered more than any other one and now was his chance to bring it up. "Though, um, the spitting was unexpected."
"You slugged me in the mouth with a fist of ice, and I cut my cheek." Marinette said with a shrug. "My mouth was filling with blood and water from that last bit of ice I ate, so I had to get rid of it and you were right in front of me, so I just spat it out. It wasn't expected but I went with it. You responded in kind. In all honestly I should have just let it run down my chin as your reaction allowed you to avoid my slap and counter which is how I lost in the end."
"Yes I may have gone too far with that." Todoroki admitted. "But I knew I needed a lot of force to get you out. You said as much yourself when you withstood the punch."
"It was a lot of force; you broke several of my ribs and punctured a lung." Marinette said as if it was nothing. "And I cracked my skull when I hit the wall. It's no wonder I was out of it, but I told you to go Plus Ultra, and you did so don't feel bad about it. You did what you had to in order to win, and I was doing the same, so I don't have any hard feelings for how the battle ended. Next time we face off, I won't lose."
"I don't intend to either." Todoroki said with a rare smile as he felt something lift from him now that he'd gotten this off his chest. "So, I will be better as well."
"I expected as much." Marinette said. "So, I take it you're good now? This was clearly eating you up a bit if you had to call me out so that you could apologize for it."
"I just needed to say my peace and Agreste helped me see it after Hosu." Todoroki said. "I'm going to make a better effort now and be more friendly, I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me in our match."
"That's what we are all here for, to help each other get better." Marinette said. "Now let's head back and see what the rest of the class is doing."
Todoroki just nodded as they headed up the stairs and back to the classroom in quiet thinking hard. Dupain-Cheng was different and like Agreste there was something to her that felt more than just a student to Todoroki, almost as if she was older than them in a way.
He could place it, but it was almost like there was an age to her beyond her 15 years, as if she and Agreste had been through something no one else had and come out stronger because of it. It would explain her abilities and skills in battle, same with Agreste which he'd seen in a true life or death situation, but he couldn't place it. All that was driven from his mind as they entered the back door of the classroom to the sound of Kaminari and Ashido celebrating.
"This will be super easy if it's robots." Kaminari said smiling for the first time since the end of class.
"This is awesome news." Mina said next to him, Midoriya and his lot having finished explaining what they were facing just before Todoroki and Marinette returned.
"Why do you sound so excited." Shoji said from a dupli-arm mouth. "You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks."
"Yeah but I can let loose with robots." Kaminari pointed out. "And my electricity really messes with them."
"And melting them will be a synch for me." Mina said happily. "Plus, I don't have to worry about injuries with robots so I can make my acid as strong as I can with them."
"Now all you need is for Yaoyorozu to help you study for finals and you'll be all set." Sero said pointing at them.
"We'll definitely be able to go to the training camp now." The pair said happily as the class looked on some glad at the news, some annoyed at the pair and others thinking their own things regarding the information they'd just received.
"It shouldn't matter if it's robots or actually people." Bakugo said finally having enough and while he'd been quiet since his farce of a win at the Sports Festival he was finally back now that he had a new set of empirical measurements to work off with finals. "Why are you morons so excited?"
"Hey who are you calling a moron." Kaminari said defensively.
"Shut up." Bakugo said angrily to them, and the energetic pair did just that. "Arms is right, you don't have control over your Quirk and you two are too one dimensional in a fight, so you won't pass unless you address those issues you have. Hey Deku."
Bakugo wasn't done yet and it was time to lay down some challenges to those worthy of them in the class. Icy-Hot had done so at the Sports Festival, well now it was Bakugo's turn and his longtime classmate and who he thought was Quirkless was at the top of the list after the bullshit he'd pulled in the rescue race. His call out and words were so strong and venomous that the rest of the class fell silent and seemed to disappear as the longtime rivals stared at each other.
"I don't know what's going on with your power, but I've seen the way you're using it and I want you to know, it's seriously pissing me off." Bakugo said his eyes narrowing at Deku.
"He must mean how Deku was flying around like him the other day." Uraraka said to Mina and Kaminari coming in to watch it and while she'd been so amazed and proud of Deku for what he did she had enough sense to not add that as this was clearly a moment between the fated rivals.
"I won't have another half assed win like the Sports Festival." Bakugo continued ignoring Round Face and her obvious crush on Deku as he addressed the latter. "We're getting individual scores on the final, new rankings. So, we'll all know where we are actually standing after a semester and then we'll all know how much better I am."
As Bakugo was speaking he pointed at Deku and glared at him. For his part Midoriya looked scared and worried like he used to when Bakugo was like this but not as bad as he had felt when they were in middle school together.
"And Todoroki, I'll kill you too, so you had better actually try this time." Bakugo said glancing back at the bastard who'd dishonored him in the final and saw Dupain-Cheng next to him, so he turned to the half French half Chinese girl and addressed her directly for the first time ever, but she'd shown she was one of the few in the class worthy of his attention. "And you, Dupain-Cheng, I expect to see someone who can push Todoroki to use his flames to also push me, so you and your boyfriend had better also give it you're all. This time there will be no questioning that I am the top student in the class when I beat all of your scores."
With that Bakugo left the classroom and slammed the door to storm off. He had work to get to. His words weren't idle, he was going to top them all in both the written and practical exams. He was going to show Deku that he was still better despite his newfound power. He was going to prove he was better than Todoroki at his best. Even the impressive French pair wouldn't beat him combined as he made his way to the top. As he walked away he didn't notice Aizawa making notes behind a wall at the end of the corridor having heard everything.
"It's been a while since I've seen him that bad." Kirishima admitted.
"Think it's impatience, or hatred." Tokoyami said from his seat.
"It's neither." Adrien said surprising them all and causing them to turn to him where he was by his desk at the back of the classroom. "I don't know Bakugo well, but this is different. It's about pride, honor, and skill to him he just has a strange way of showing it."
"Agreste is right." Izuku said surprised at his friend's accurate assessment of Kacchan. "Kacchan's pride was badly wounded by Todoroki in the final, he felt his win lack honor and skill because Todoroki gave up after going all out against first me and then Dupain-Cheng just to reach the final. That doesn't mix well with Kacchan's personality, and he'd take that as a deep insult."
"What do you mean?" Kirishima asked.
"Kacchan is driven to be the best, to be the top, that is why he's so good, not his powerful Quirk, but he doesn't want to get there by any shortcuts or cheats." Izuku said. "He wants to get there by beating the best at their best. Uraraka surprised him with her final move and forced him to go Plus Ultra to counter it. Agreste gave him a strong battle and forced him to get faster and to best Agreste's tactics, and Dark Shadow was at least something Bakugo would like to face until he realized how mismatched it was against him. However, out of the whole class, it was Todoroki he wanted because Todoroki singled me out and had shown himself to be the strongest on the first test. Then, he won like that and that wasn't acceptable to him."
"I agree with Midoriya on this." Todoroki said surprising everyone. "What I did when I gave up in the final was dishonorable to him and Bakugo has every reason to be pissed at me for it. After what Midoriya made me see and Dupain-Cheng made me do I was too conflicted to really fight, but I failed to put that behind me and face Bakugo as I should have and that was wrong. Not again. I will give it my all in the finals and show him that when I am at my best I can beat him."
"We all will." Marinette said, the fact that she'd been called out by name, and her correct name at that, by Bakugo addressing her personally showed how good she was but she wasn't going to dwell on that and rather use it to get everyone to be better. "So, let's get to work. We have written and practical finals so this will be a tough week, but we can all do it. We're U.A. students so we are expected to always go Plus Ultra, well, let's show it why we deserve to be here."
The others in the class nodded and again Marinette was showing her leadership skills. While she herself didn't know it, Marinette was an inspiration to the class, especially the other girls as she was clearly the strongest of them, the one who would lead them when things fell down gender lines, and the one who's strength and skill they looked to the most. We'll all but Ochaco who drew everything from Deku but he was her best friend so that was understandable.
After that, the rest of the class broke up and began chatting as they headed out to get ready for the coming week. It was going to be intense, but they all knew that they could manage it and at the end there was the summer camp to look forward to. It was time to study and train as hard as they could to pass their final exams.
The next week seemed to fly by for the students of Class 1-A as they studied, alone and in groups, and trained hard to keep in shape as they got ready for their finals. The finals were upon them before they realized though and soon 3 days of intense written finals took place. They were as hard as expected but everyone was ready, and no one left anything blank as they answered all the questions and handed them back to Mr. Aizawa confident of at least passing the written part. However, the practical was still to come.
The practical itself took place on a 4th day and would last all day as all the students gathered in a large, central plaza in front of two building they'd never seen before, which at U.A. was now normal for them. One was tall and thin and made of steel and glass. The other short and long of dark glass and brick with a wide entrance and a semicircular extension from it in the center. This was the central plaza for finals and where the students were to meet for the start of their practical finals.
Instantly something was off. They were all there in their costumes but before them were 8 of the school's teachers, all pro heroes. From left to right in front of them was Ectoplasm, Cementoss with Power Loader crouched before him, Snipe, Present Mic, Mr. Aizawa, Thirteen and Midnight. This was an auspicious start, and the more hardened students were instantly suspicious of what was to come.
"Now then let's begin the last test." Aizawa said to the class as they stood before the teachers in their hero costumes. "Remember it is possible to fail this test so if you want to go to camp then don't make any stupid mistakes."
"Why are all the teachers here?" Jiro asked voicing the question that many had on their minds.
"I expect many of you have gather information and have some idea of what you'll be facing today." Aizawa said not giving anything away as he spoke. "Well, at least what you expect to be facing in the exam."
"We're facing those big old metal robots." Kaminari said happily.
"Fireworks, smores, here we come." Mina said pumping her fist already excited for camp.
"Actually, this year's test will be entirely different." A voice said from Aizawa's scarf and the Principal of U.A. popped out of it, batting Aizawa in the face in process as he look forward unamused by his boss's actions. "This will be for various reasons."
"You're changing things?" Momo asked shocked as a few of class exclaimed Nezu's name at his arrival and Kaminari and Mina froze where they were.
"The tests now have a new focus to them." Nezu said as he used Aizawa's scarf to climb down while Thirteen made sure he was on the ground. "There will of course be hero work and teamwork and this time there will be combat between actual people. So, what does that mean for you students? Why that means that you will be working in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed teachers. Isn't that fabulous?"
"We're fighting the teachers?" Ochaco asked shocked and worried as the class processed it though already there was a bit of a worry as only 9 were present but there would be 11 pairs while no one present thought that it would be fabulous at all. "Seriously?"
"Additionally, your partners and opponents have already been chosen." Aizawa said. "They were determined at my own discretion and were determined based on a number of factors such as fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. First off, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team, against me."
With that Aizawa actually grinned at the idea of facing them as he held up his scarf while the recommended students looked at him in shock. This was the perfect pair for Aizawa to face and he was eager to really test his students and to see what they could do when he erased their Quirks. Still, the next pair he was going to publicly name were going to be just as fun to call out.
"Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo." Aizawa said causing both boys to react at that and recoil slightly at who they were paired with. "And their opponent is…"
Aizawa didn't finish, for once the annoyingly flashy entrance would be useful as All Might leapt down from above and landed before the pair. Instantly all knew who they were facing and of all the pairs, they had the toughest opponent as they were up against the number 1 hero.
"I am here, to fight." All Might said as he rose, right fist clenched, and looked at the boys. "You're going to have to work together boys if you want to win against me."
"Wait, Mr. Aizawa, the numbers don't add up." Ida said raising his hand as Midoriya and Bakugo reacted to who they were facing in the exam. "There are now 10 teachers, but we have 22 in the class so who's the 11th teacher."
"I'm glad you asked that because we're starting this final off with something special." Aizawa said with another one of his unsettling grins as his eyes fell on the exchange pair and instantly Marinette and Adrien knew they were a pair which should have been good, but both suddenly had a really bad feeling about this given the look in Mr. Aizawa's eyes. "Francois Dupont High is famed for its partner program so for one last time and to truly test it in a combat situation, Dupain-Cheng and Agreste will be paired together to show it off but to be fair to all of you they will go first with no time to prepare. As for your opponent, well…"
As soon as Aizawa spoke the air in front of the pair, though at the line of teachers, shimmered and transformed to reveal that there was a man standing there this entire time grinning under a lilac hood. He wore a hooded lilac cloak, a lilac shirt, blue jeans and sneakers with a knife on his belt. On his arms were a pair of black gauntlets, the only thing different from his usual attire and they looked heavy.
"Hello my charges." Mage said his grin getting wider as Marinette and Adrien's eyes went wide at the sight of their legal guardian standing before them. "Guess who's been tapped to fight you, I'm sure you two can handle me in combat."
"We're fighting you?" Marinette asked worry in her voice that no one in the class missed.
Most of the class didn't know who the new teacher was as they hadn't seen him before though a few like Momo recognized the outfit as that of a member of the Guardians of the Elements. She knew that they were an international agency comprised of some of the top heroes in the world, all considered on par with Endeavor at least.
The only ones who knew him by name though not much more were Midoriya, Ida and Todoroki who'd seen him in Hosu as he'd been Adrien's supervisor, but none realized he was a teacher at U.A. as well. Ok, Midoriya knew a lot more having researched him after briefly meeting him and another Guardian in Hosu, but he was still reeling from his own surprise opponent to really focus at the moment.
"Let me introduce you to a special member of staff who started teaching here last year though he has a long teaching history having taught for many years at Francois Dupont and other top schools all over Europe." Aizawa said gesturing to the man. "This is Mage, the Guardian of Magic, Quirk Magician. He holds that title because he is a member of the Guardians of the Elements, an international hero agency that many of you should have heard of. He was the teacher in France who first recommended Ladybug and Cat Noir to the Principal and part of the deal was that he come here on a 5-year teaching contract to teach Quirkless combat and pre-Quirk history, the former you will be taught third semester, the latter a class you will take next year."
"In addition." Nezu said picking up the introduction. "He's the legal guardian for our honored French guests so he's the perfect person to face them in combat and to show us how well Francois Dupont's partner system works."
"It is an honor to do so, and I can't wait to really push you two." Mage said and Marinette and Adrien instantly knew they were going to be facing a fight harder than Hawk Moth but with their new training and outlook on their powers they at least had a chance. "So, show me all you've learned here and in Paris."
The rest of the class looked to the French pair and instantly knew that something big was going to happen. Both actually looked afraid of their final but set themselves and they all realized that this Mage person was not someone to be taken lightly. If he could get that reaction from both French students who had been unphased by anything until this moment then he had to be good.
"As for the other pairs and their opponents, they are as follows." Aizawa said not giving anyone a moment to recover. "First it's Dupain-Cheng and Agreste against Mage. Then it's Kirishima and Sato against Cementoss. Asui and Tokoyami against Ectoplasm. Ida and Ojiro against Power Loader. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki against me. Uraraka and Aoyama against Thirteen. Ashido and Kaminari against Principal Nezu. Jiro and Koda against Present Mic. Hagakure and Shoji against Snipe. Mineta and Sero against Midnight. Finally, Midoriya and Bakugo against All Might."
"To complete the exam, you will have 30 minutes." Principal Nezu said when the announcement of the pairs and their opponents was done and holding up a pair of yellow handcuffs in his left paw. "In order to win your objective is to put these on your teacher or you can win if one of you manages to escape from the combat stage."
"So, we've either got to capture the teacher or run away." Kaminari said thinking on it.
"Yeah but is it really ok to just jet." Mina asked. "That doesn't sound very heroic."
"Yup." Nezu said. "Running for help from a better suited hero is always an option."
"It's going to be a lot harder than that combat training you went through earlier." Present Mic said in his usual over the top DJ manner. "After all your up against real pros this time and we're way better than you."
"Better than us?" Jiro asked confused, she was up against him and didn't know Present Mic's hero work well. "Aren't you just the announcer and English teacher?"
"Watch your mouth young lady." Present Mic said already preparing a special vocal solo for her while Koda tried and failed to prevent his partner from provoking their opponent. "Have some respect."
"This will be closer to a real battle than anything else you've been tested on so far." Thirteen said. "I know it is tough but think of us as villains."
"Assuming you come across your enemy, if you think you can win then fight, however." Snipe said.
"In instances where your outmatched it would be smarter to run away and find help." Aizawa said as his hard gaze fell on four classmates he called out by name as he'd been read in on what they'd done given his position as their teacher. "Agreste, Todoroki, Ida, Midoriya, I'm sure the four of you understand this more than the rest of the class combined right now."
"I understand." Todoroki said with a simple nod.
"I won't make that mistake again." Ida said looking at his slightly damaged left hand and then clenching it. "I'll past this test and prove I'm a hero."
"I did what was right, but I will have more sense going forward knowing my restrictions and limitations." Adrien said seriously. "And when it's best to get help."
"So, it's fight to win or run to win." Izuku said.
"That's right it's a test of your decision-making skills but with these rules you're probably thinking your only option is to run away." All Might said. "That's why the Support Course made these super cool accessories for us."
"Behold, ultra-compressed weights." Present Mic announced as All Might held up a silver band with several dark black squares on it.
"These babies will add about half our body weight to our physic, it's not much but it will eat up out stamina and make it harder for us to move around." All Might said as the other teachers began adding their own weights except Mage who tapped his gauntlets to show that they were made of the same material though Adrien and Marinette had a feeling that for him it was more a matter of cover and show given what he actually was. "Oh shoot, these are heavier than I thought. We had a contest to design them and young Hatsume was the winner."
"Good for Hatsume." Izuku said pleased his, um, friend and former teammate had won the contest.
"You think we need a handicap to win against you." Bakugo said angrily to All Might having come to terms with his situation and determined to win against the hardest opponent here to show his skill to the whole class. "Think again."
"This will be fun." All Might said with a laugh.
"Let's begin." Aizawa said. "The teams will take it in order of how you were called. We have a stage prepared for each pair. Dupain-Cheng, Agreste, you're up."
The French pair nodded as they made their way to the stage and the teachers began to walk into the smaller building. As they were walking, Aizawa turned back to the class one last time.
"Those waiting to fight can either watch the exams inside or strategize together as a team." Aizawa said before turning back to join his fellow teachers. "That's all."
"Ojiro, I'd like to discuss how we could coordinate the use of our Quirks." Ida said instantly to his partner, he was not going to fail this, he was going to be as ready as possible to face Power Loader with Ojiro. "We should be as prepared as possible for our turn."
"Great." Ojiro said.
"Tokoyami, let's come up with a plan." Tsu said to her partner.
"Agreed." Tokoyami said with a nod.
"We've got to figure out a way to destroy Ms. Midnight's clothes." Mineta said determined to see one of his all-time favorite hero's spectacular, uncovered, tits.
"You are such a little scumbag." Sero said shaking his head as he looked down at Mineta.
Izuku knew that he should strategize but he couldn't, not with Bakugo, so he headed inside to watch the matches and his classmates against heroes. He had no idea how he personally was going to do this but perhaps he could get some inspiration from his classmates and what better way than to start with his friends Dupain-Cheng and Agreste. After all, their fight was the second hardest after his and their teamwork apparently the best, so it was time to see how they faced off against a hero so good he was invited to join the top international agency in the world. It was going to be a good fight.
Ah I can't resist an ending like that, a little tease of what is to come as Ladybug and Cat Noir get another chance to fight together again only this time it's against Mage. This will be tough for them for sure, but you will have to wait a week at the longest to see how they handle him as we get ready for the final exams to start. However, that is all I have for this setup chapter and as such I will leave it here. If you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
